What If This Storm Ends?
by Blanck
Summary: Cole MacGrath is given another chance at life, but at a cost. Thrown into a twisted game of survival, he must earn the trust of unlikely allies if he wants to succeed and change his fate. However, not everything is as it seems in this dangerous new world, and Cole must fight against all odds or risk becoming his own antithesis.


_The hero sees values beyond what's possible. That's the nature of a hero. It kills him, of course, ultimately. But it makes the whole struggle of humanity worthwhile._

‒JOHN GARDNER

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: Someone You'd Never Notice**

He was alone.

Cole MacGrath, who had his first brush with death in his younger years and had never forgotten the experience, was now drifting through an endless blackness beyond any known level of existence. He was aware that he now lacked a physical form; his body was long gone, left behind in the wake of his final stand. His spirit floated endlessly without the ability to feel or interact. There was no pain, happiness, nor life. Nothing.

He had first seen the familiar darkness before the Empire City Blast incident, when he'd had an unfortunate encounter with a heavyset vehicle. The freight truck had collided with him with a bludgeoning force that had sent Cole rolling across the rain-slicked blacktop. He'd been caught under its wheels and had both his legs crushed, blacking out almost immediately, but had later walked away with little more than a few minor bruises. That particular incident stayed within his thoughts even after he'd gained his powers as a Conduit.

Cole knew that he was going to die even before he activated the RFI. Cole remembered facing the weakened Beast, then releasing an enormous burst of energy that ripped through his entire being like every nerve in his body was being shredded by thousands of needles at once. He recalled being inwardly frightened at the prospect of his inevitable death, but accepted it with the finality of a hero who knew deep down that such a sacrifice would be saving millions of lives. He, Kuo, Nix, and thousands of others had traded their mortality for the sake of the rest of humanity, and to Cole, that was more than enough.

He felt trapped in a continuous sleep, aware yet not truly awake, as if in a continuous dream. Cole felt nothing, saw nothing, and could do nothing. His body, once coursing with the Conduit powers that had been awakened by the first Ray Sphere, felt numb and not even _human_. He was not even someone who would blend in perfectly among the normal populace‒ but he was still someone you'd never notice. A ghost. If Cole could grin at the irony of it all, he would have at the realization that his former humanity would never be achieved, even after the finality of death. Perhaps this had been planned by a higher being up until this point. If so, he thought, whoever was in charge of the endless reaches of the universe and beyond had a sick sense of humor.

Cole tried to recall the events before his final confrontation with the Beast; his final resolution as he obtained the last blast core, his goodbyes to Zeke, the death of Nix as she made the attack that had ended her life, comforting Kuo and remembering how scared she was at the face of death. That was when a voice, deep and unsettling, boomed throughout Cole's entire conscious and shattered the tranquility of his last memories.

"You could have done so much better," it said impassively.

Its tone reminded Cole of an announcer at a football game‒ when there _was _such a thing before the world went to hell. However, there was a trace of regality in it as well, of someone who had a bigger ego than they should. Cole had encountered many people like this in the world of the living, especially during his rounds as a courier when he had to make deliveries in the high-end parts of the city that rich schmucks liked to call home. He'd treated them as they did him; some would treat him like filth, and others would act like he was a godsend on a bicycle. This person‒ or deity, Cole didn't know‒ was turning out to be the former; and he would have none of it.

"Try a few months in my shoes before you make assumptions," he replied snidely. Though his mouth was physically incapable of moving at this point, his desire to speak was projected through his thoughts, and for this Cole was grateful.

There was a pause, as if the being was surprised at the tenacity in Cole's voice. "Well, well," it tittered whimsically, as if it were amused by the comeback. "Looks like we have another one who thinks he knows his stuff. Do you know where you are?"

"Dead," Cole said simply, sarcastically.

"Very good," it said. "As for why you're here. . . no, never mind about that, you already know anyway. . . your essence no longer exists in your world. To be more specific, you are now in what I like to call the 'Void'."

A wave of both disappointment and disproportionate bitterness clouded Cole's thoughts, and for a moment he wondered if Nix, Kuo, and the thousands of Conduits who had died ended up here as well; floating aimlessly with their consciousness still intact, unable to physically move or speak.

"Don't worry." The voice was dispassionately reassuring now. "Only the pawns of fate end up in a place like this once they fulfill their purpose. Others, unlike yourself, are much more fortunate."

"So that's it, huh?" Cole spat. "I was meant to die as part of some petty wish fulfillment."

"Not quite. You see, I have a little proposition in mind that I think you'll find to be beneficial to your cause. Sound interesting?"

He didn't want to trust whoever this was. A nagging thought lingered that told him that there was something wrong about how it presented itself. Cole had always been the type of person who was suspicious of others, especially during his time as a Conduit. There were few people he could trust in the world, and he wasn't one to ignore his gut feeling. Especially for someone who could possibly screw him over in the long run. "Depends," he said. "Just what do you want from me?"

"Your undivided attention, of course," it chuckled. "But really, you are crucial to what I have in mind, so hear me out."

"Go on," Cole said. "Not like I have anything better to do."

"Of course." The voice was unmistakably delighted. "There are others such as yourself in the Void. Not all of them died, per say, but were brought here under. . . different circumstances. I am here to offer you another chance to correct your mistakes. Think of it as a consolation prize. All you need to do is compete for the power to mold fate to your liking."

"Mold fate?" Cole couldn't help but laugh derisively. "Look, my so-called fate has already been decided. I'm dead; isn't that supposed to be final?"

"Not when you're a god," it said. "I can give you the power to bend fate to your will. After all, wouldn't you want to resurrect the friends and innocents who sacrificed themselves to save your world? Think about it."

He did think about the prospect for a moment; would everyone whose lives had been sacrificed want to be thrown back into a broken world, especially after what they had become? There was a slim chance they'd fit into normal society. They'd be looked down upon as freaks, just as he was. That's when one single, fleeting thought dawned upon him.

"I would," he said. Cole could almost feel the entity within his consciousness simmer with anticipation. "But only on one condition."

The voice emitted a brief, self-satisfied chuckle. "And what would that be?"

"Make the world normal again. Bring back the innocents who were killed, not as Conduits. That's all I ask."

It paused briefly, as if considering. Cole swore he could hear a faint buzzing in the back of his mind, as if someone had left a loud speaker on hold. The two sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, until the voice finally spoke once more.

"If you succeed, you could do what you wish with the power you shall obtain and so much more. So you accept your role in my game, Cole MacGrath?"

"Yeah. I do."

For a moment, everything in Cole's mind became oddly placid. Then, like a bullet, a nauseating wave of searing hot pain shot throughout his entire state of mind, gripping, squeezing his consciousness like a burning vice. He heard himself cry out to the darkness as it became unbearable, worse than anything he'd felt in his short life.

After one agonizing minute, the torment disappeared entirely. It left Cole in a state of shock, and he struggled to gather his wits; but it felt as if his entire mindset was slowly being ebbed away.

Before he finally succumbed to the looming nothingness that filled every crevice of his mind, could heard the voice echo throughout his remaining consciousness once more, cruel and conniving:

"_Brace yourself."_


End file.
